Vy stares at Scarlet through his one good eye. “Excuse me?” He snatches up the folder and flips through it. Four info sheets about four students from the PSI-funded college, along with a special note of two of them being on the “Vy Reiter Non-Combative” primary track. He stares at Scarlet. “What do you mean full-time training? This ain’t a demotion, is it?”

“It’s not a demotion,” Scarlet frowns. “You have too much tenure for us to lower your paycheck.”

“That’s not what I—”

“We just feel it’s in your best interests,” Scarlet continues. “We don’t want to risk you getting another serious injury, or worse. Especially now that you are down an eye.”

“Besides,” Theo adds. “You did a wonderful job teaching Lupita and Hugo those several years ago. You might as well spread your knowledge to our new students as well.”

“You’ll start in a couple of days,” Scarlet says. “In the meantime, get settled in, figure out your lesson plan, and... Theo, would you like to do the honors?”

Theo smiles and ushers Vy out. “Agent Reiter, I’d like for you to meet my father.”

“Oh, right now?” Vy asks, but Theo is strong and persuasive and easily guides Vy along. “He's not gonna hate me, is he?"

“Hmm?"

“Nothin'."

Theo emanates confidence that this meeting is sure to go well. If Vy could latch onto that emotion and make it his own, he would.

But even as an empath, his own fear drowns out any assumption this would go alright.

If Theo notices the uncharacteristic lack of confidence, he either is giving no indication or doesn't care.

Vy is out of luck.